More cases against, Maryam, Safdar, Sana, PML-N leaders

LAHORE/ GUJRANWALA: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz and other leaders of the party were booked on Tuesday for exposing herself to security risk and violating the coronavirus SOPs [standard operating procedures] during her rally from Lahore to Gujranwala to attend the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) public meeting there.

Also, police registered three more cases against the PML-N leaders including party’s Punjab President Rana Sanaullah in Gujranwala over violation of an agreement in respect of the PDM public meeting at Jinnah Stadium, forcible removal of the containers and “an attempt to kill the policemen on-duty”.

In Lahore, besides Mayram Nawaz, the other leaders and activists nominated in the case, registered at Shahdara police station, included Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar, Malik Riaz, Samiullah Khan, Ghazali Saleem Butt, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Pervai Rasheed, Rana Muhammad Hayat and 800-900 others.

The FIR against Maryam was registered under Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), the Punjab Sound Systems Regulation Act and other sections of the law.

Inspector Zahid Nawaz, in his complaint, alleged that Maryam, while ignoring threat alerts and advisories issued by the security agencies, exposed herself to risk for coming out of roof of her vehicle to address the party workers. The inspector said that he was on duty in the evening of October 16 in Begum Kot Chowk when he heard the news of PML-N activists under the leadership of Malik Riaz of setting up of a welcome stage at a mazda truck to welcome rallies and processions for the PDM gathering in Gujranwala. Around 800/900 workers and PML-N leaders were also present there. They were raising slogans against the government and institutions. Meanwhile, another rally, led by Ghazali Saleem Butt and Ali Pervaiz Malik, being escorted by two cranes and a truck, also reached there, causing heavy traffic jam at Shahdara Chowk.

Capt Safdar and other PML-N leaders raised slogans and delivered harsh speeches against the government and the law-enforcement agencies. The PML-N leaders convinced Maryam Nawaz to come out of roof of the vehicle by putting herself on security risk and address the public, which she did. The inspector said the participants also violated COVID-19 SOPs. A large number of them were wearing no masks and were also not observing social distancing.

In Gujranwala, the first case was registered against PML-N leaders, MNA Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan, MNA Mehmood Bashir Virk, MPA Imran Khalid Butt and PML-N City President Salman Khalid Butt, over violation of the agreement signed between the PML-N and the district administration. In the FIR, the PML-N leaders have been charged with not following the instructions mentioned in the agreement in respect of coronavirus SOPs, and roads blockages, etc. In the second FIR, the PML-N leaders — Rana Sanaullah, Khurram Dastgir Khan and Imran Khalid Butt – were charged with holding an illegal procession, forcibly removing the containers on the roads and trying to crush the police officials under their vehicle for asking them to park the vehicle at the specified parking point.

The third FIR has been registered against unknown persons over display of illicit arms at the PDM public meeting. All three FIRs have been registered at Satellite Town Police Station.